A security guard and a motorcyclist died after being hit by falling giant billboards in two separate incidents, the state-run Xinhua news agency said.

The storm added to the worst floods in China for years, which already killed more than 135 people in July.

Conson later moved toward northern Vietnam, where it is expected to come ashore later on July 17. Some 200,000 people in the area have already fled their homes, officials say.

The storm arrived in southern China after hitting the Philippines, where 38 people were killed.

The China Meteorological Administration said the typhoon had windspeeds of 78mph (126km/h) when it hit Hainan late on Friday.

It had been downgraded to a tropical storm after it left the Philippines but strengthened into a typhoon again before hitting the city of Sanya.

The storm also brought heavy rains to the tourist resort, uprooting trees and cutting power supply, Xinhua said.

Flights, shipping and ferries were suspended as the storm approached the island, which is popular with tourists. About 24,000 fishing boats were recalled to their ports.